New initiatives needed against water-borne diseases: Tendulkar

New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar Thursday called for eradication water-borne diseases and said that Indian research institutions should come up with new initiatives against the mortality among children due to such diseases.

"Since India has the highest mortality among children due the water-borne diseases, there is a need for the research institutions in the country to come up with brilliant initiatives to curb the diseases," Tendulkar said.

He was speaking at the launch of "Shuddh Paani, Swastha Bharat", a national campaign of the Livpure Foundation aiming to reduce mortality among children due to water-borne diseases.

According to National Health Care Survey of 2013, less than one-third of households in India have access to purified drinking water.

Tendulkar said, "I feel proud to be associated with this initiative to safeguard children's health to the best of my abilities for the wellbeing of every child in order to reduce child mortality rate in India".

Livpure also launched two new reverse osmosis products on the occasion.

Rakesh Malhotra, founder SAR group, said, "Access to safe drinking water on sustainable basis constitutes a fundamental and inalienable human right of every one in India."

"Livpure Foundation has been established to bring into focus this critical problem facing a large population globally and especially India since, as per WHO more people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence including war," he said.